Standing outside freezing in Highland Park in middle of December waiting on two $4.00 hotdogs. Ever hear of a drive-through window? read more

Every once in a while we will try it again and then we remember why we stopped coming here. Overpriced, bad service, stupid mistakes, they never get it right the first time and oh this time it was Uber eats fault because they didn't receive the order until 15 minutes after I arrived. I'm sure I'll get it home and something will be wrong....AGAIN! I have no ideas how they stay in business. What a joke. read more

I used to really like this place from my childhood. I then brought my kids, but we haven't been in 3 years because we moved. WOW, have prices gone up, ridiculously increased. We paid $61 for 2 orders of chicken strips, bison burger, fries and hamburger. The quality doesn't reflect the pricing, and the pricing is in line for a sit down restaurant, which it isn't. It's just ok. Portillos a few miles away is much better with prices in line with the type of place it is, which is a burger/hot dog joint. We sadly won't be returning. read more

Alright, now I grew up in the area and used to LOVE going to Michaels. Whether it'd be a chardog, some yummy cheese fries and their salad, at that time, whatever you got always always hit the spot. I mean granted their decor was a little dated but you come there for the food, PERIOD. But! It's been a long time and lots has changed. From what I remember, a great feature of getting salads here was although they are pricy, you had unlimited ingredients and whatever you wanted was always fresh. I mean, you could actually SEE the workers fill up your bowl. Unfortunately, this was not my experience when I stopped by. Recently, I came in to get some large salads for my family. It was $20/large salad, I knew the price would go up because of inflation but as the price increased, I didn't know the quality of the food would decrease. The remodeling of the restaurant makes you place your order with the hostess when you enter, the one who took care of me, her name was Julia, was very kind. So, A+ for customer service. I put in my order and I ordered three large salads, im not going to describe what each salad entailed bc that's just too much, haha! Anyways, these orders were placed to go. So, when we received our salads and got ready home, ready to eat, one of the salad we ordered didn't have grilled chicken in it despite being ordered and the romaine lettuce and leafy greens we had requested to be chopped were wilted and brown. First off, EW. The portion of a large salad was significantly smaller and just overall, the taste of the salads were not good. It was evident that fresh ingredients were not being used and I was disappointed because for $60, you would expect better. A lot better. Based on the other reviews, it seems like the quality of the food here has gone down significantly which is a shame. To be honest, you have much better restaurants on this block with much better food than here. So, if you're looking to try this out, I'd say skip and save your money. BYG is right next door and has much better quality food for a fraction of the price. Michaels used to be good but not anymore. read more

The char dogs are SO good. Been coming here forever. Even had my daughters 4th birthday here. Their salad bar is incredible. Their Romanian dogs are perfect. Cheddar cheese fries are amazing. Nothin here is bad. read more

Michael's - the reflection of a sign in the window - Hot Dogs Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

Not sure why I stopped in for a quick lunch with my young granddaughter (because I decided a couple years ago this place is nothing like it used to be)...After waiting 15 minutes in line at 11:30am with one cashier who also has to take personal salad bar orders which is ridiculous because it takes forever. I ordered the kids chicken nuggets that cost $9.95, overcooked with fries and no drink included. I had a hotdog which I would have sent back if there was a wait staff to do it. The hotdog is a fraction the size of what it was, no meat quality at all, and the bun was hard (not even steamed). This place is expensive, bad quality food, and PLEASE change your ordering system! read more

Disgusting!!! Quality control. Wow. A once classic place has gone to crap. The chicken is tough and old. The burgers are clearly frozen for years in the freezer burn freezer and disgusting. You want food poisoning, then give this one a try. The fries are so soggy and gross. The salads are with moldy lettuce. The cheap cheap process of not buying fresh. The cheap way it was thrown together. The rude rude rude person taking the order. It all amounts to this.... Go anywhere but here. Sad. Of all the restaurants this reviewer has been to in his Yelp life this one is the worst. Avoid. ***Eat here at your own risk*** read more

Michael's is BUSY and for good reasons! This place makes a mean hot dog. DH and I love our dogs. And there is nothing more disappointing than a sad dog. But Michael's delivers. You wait in line to order, get and pay for your food. Then you can 1. Eat outside on the patio tables 2. Eat inside in the small seating area 3. Take your food home. We happened to come at the height of dinner. So waiting in line was a bit long. It seems very chaotic behind the counter but we did manage to get everything we ordered. There's a separate line for people wanting salad. Really? Salad at a hotdog joint? But there was a long line. So either the salads are that good or there are a lot of rabbits in HP. The dogs were fab! Fresh onion to top it all off :) Even my boys devoured their meal. They are extremely generous with the French fries so feel free to share amongst yourselves. read more

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Father's Day at your restaurant totally blew today :-( It was really quiet when we got there...just a couple of tables. The employees were ready and waiting to take our order. That was great and we were able to order right away, but of all people, my husband's grilled chicken sandwich got totally botched, and he had to send it back twice. When it finally got back to him, it still wasn't right, and at this point the rest of us were almost done with our food (I promise we waited as long as we could), and we just wanted to be done at that point. My kids were super satisfied with their cheeseburgers. The fries were consistent. My BBQ grilled chicken sandwich was sauced up just right and truly delicious! My husband's grilled chicken sandwich was cold when it arrived in his substituted wrap (instead of a bun), and he was told it was reheated. For $8 he decided he wanted it totally remade. When his food arrived (supposedly remade), he's pretty sure he simply got chicken strips instead that were stuffed into the wrap. One other thing to note: The floors were sticky, the women's bathroom was dirty, and I still can't figure out why the employees (the several employees that were hanging around), couldn't get in there and clean it. Come on guys...totally not cool. Not sure we'll come back...at least not for a really long time. Kind of a bummer, because your chicken sandwich rocks. read more

I've lived in HP since 1989 and have been to Michael's dozens of times, albeit more often when my kids were in school in the 90s & 00s. They were always a bit pricey for me, but always top notch quality. Last week my husband & I ended up there for dinner about 7pm. The place looked very different - the place where we used to order was roped off and ordering was done in the main dining room. Hubby got a bison burger, which he enjoyed, and I got Debbie's Favorite Salad, which I had ordered several times before. It turned out we knew one of the employees and we talked to her (she was clocked out already) for about 15 minutes. I tried eating my salad, but the pears were as hard as any apple I've ever had. The pears are the featured item in this expensive salad. I was extremely disappointed to be served pears that were 1 week underripe. If a restaurant finds an ingredient unavailable, I think they should minimally inform the customer or make a reasonable substitution. Our friend informed us that the restaurant had been sold to venture capitalists several years ago, which made my experience there at least make sense. Michael's, I'll miss you - at least what you were. Sad... read more

Sometimes it's difficult to find a restaurant to satisfy everyone (including a picky 2 1/2 year old), but there's something for everyone at Michaels. Whether you want to indulge in a burger and fries or opt for a healthy salad Michael's has you covered. I find their vast menu to almost be overwhelming, but after frequent visits (mostly for carryout) I've learned you can't really go wrong w/ anything at Michaels. I typically stick with their salads (topped with a scoop of delish tuna) while helping myself to bites of a cheeseburger and fries of my little one. And even my picky little one can't resist anything I've given her from Michaels. Food from here is sure to put a smile on anyone's face. read more

Great family friendly place to eat!! You order at the counter and then the food is brought to you. The dining room is huge with tv screens all over. There is a tiny game room, but hey! at least they have a game room! The food offered is everything from hotdogs, burgers, veggie burgers, chicken, soups, and salads. Oh and FRIES!! With or without cheese. Honestly, this place was packed with families and is a great please to sit and eat and have your kids be kids. read more

We were extremely disappointed. We had no clue that the dinning room was not open. That was not a problem. Here is what was a problem. We both ordered Chinese Salad Wrap. They brought it out in a paper bag. No silverware no napkins. We had to ask for our table to be cleaned. HORRIBLE! My friend paid with cash, they short changed her! Seriously! She asked for water and they would not give you water!! The wrap was horrible. No taste, made extremely sloppy. Then my friend asked to use the restroom and they would not allow that. We spoke to the manager on duty and all he said was "I'm sorry" We will definitely not run to highland park for Michael's not recommend this to anyone. Overpriced, rude, and definitely not the same that it use to be. read more

Our family used to come here at least twice a month. The kids were young and it was a great place for lunch or a casual dinner before or after a movie. We used to joke that no matter what we got, it was always $20 for the 4 of us. (It was a long time ago...) So I was treating my grownup daughter by bringing her a "Micheal's" salad to work, just the way she likes it. So I got us each a huge salad with all the toppings we wanted and we each got a nice chewy bialy. You know what? It was $20! Not bad for 2 salads with as much healthy veggies we got all chopped up in a large container! We both had enough left for another meal as well. I may not have little kids anymore, but when I want a salad just the way I like it, this is the place to go! read more

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I ordered a skirt steak sandwich, fries and a drink. The fries were excellent however my steak was basically raw, tough and a mortgage payment coming in at $25.60. Try Nortons in Highland Park for a super skirt steak sandwich. read more

Came in here very hungry ordered a bison burger fried chicken sandwich, onion rings and a shake. Everything was bad, bison burger looked undercooked with some type of cheese sauce on top rather then a slice of cheese. The chicken sandwich was 2 chicken tenders on bread with condiments. Shake and onion rings mediocre at best. Would never ever ever come back here again. Can't believe this place has been in business since 1977 serving food that's this bad. read more

Still being new to the Highland Park area, I finally learned of and tried Michael's this past spring. Our first trip for takeout was chaotic at best, though the fault of impatient drivers, and not that of the restaurant. They do close early (7pm), but we thought we'd found a great quick bites spot. Unfortunately, I don't know whether the first positive experience was an exception, or the norm, as each visit since has been disappointing. Perhaps it's an issue with the Italian Beef? Last visit, both sandwiches, which were ordered with au jus on the side, came dry without the accompanying jus, requiring another visit in the nick of time prior to closing. Tonight, I again ordered the beef with jus on the side. Since I picked up myself (sorry hubby), I knew to check the bag, and upon seeing the jus, headed home. Much to my dismay, I opened the (well packed) container to a greasy orange liquid with what seemed like several tablespoons of oregano creating a layer of spices on top. I'm not sure what this was from, as it was incredibly spicy and inedible. Unfortunately, I did not have time to return to the restaurant (again) prior to closing, so into to the trash it went. My spouse's burger is consistently good, so I'd advise going that route and avoiding plain, dry beef. read more

Michael's - Hot Dogs Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

They got the best of me and I won't be back to get robbed anytime soon. Menu on the website clearly shows the skirt steak sandwich at 8.49, see pic. Placed order and went to pick up. They charge me 16.99 for the sandwiches, each!! It would need to be an unbelievable sandwich for a $16.99 take out. Well to no surprise, it wasn't even average. At 8.49 it would have been fine, but this was just a robbery. I asked for a take out menu and guess what, they don't have any, check the internet! There are too many great places in the area to do business this way. Watch out and avoid this place. read more

Michael's - Hot Dogs Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

I was craving a burger and I've been meaning to try restaurants in my area to support. I ordered a cheeseburger and fries with cheese on the side. I wasn't impressed. Cheese from my fries was weird looking and didn't taste right I don't know why fast food places out here can't get cheese right. Burger was okay a little too charred for my liking. Overall probably wouldn't return. I still have yet to find a GOOD fast food place like in Chicago a Chicago native can only dream only downside of the burbs. For now I think I'll just stick to portillos still looking for a non chain fast food place in the area. read more

Michael's - Hot Dogs Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

Just picked up two jumbo char dogs and order of onion rings ($18.50) Evidently times are tough for Michaels. The hot dog was in a bun. No more Chicago style for them -- NO mustards, pickle relish, pickle slice,tomato, ec. Really don't waste your time at this phony hot dog stand. read more

Something strange had happened to Micheal's. I've been going there forever but now (new owner) you order, get a number and they bring you your food and it takes MUCH longer. In fact, it took even longer than your would imagine for a hot dog. I miss the way it was. They have a good menu. Lots of people eating salads that are chopped and look Ate there again and it's even worse! The hot dogs aren't what you expect. They aren't the authentic Vienna Beef with the casing. The relish which is supposed to be green green is now the kind you can buy in any store. i won't be eating there again! read more

Michael's has been a hot dog / burger staple of mine growing up in the North Shore. I always opted to order a burger over a hot dog as my palate has a predilection for char-broiled burgers. And I have yet to have one in awhile, so I ordered the cheddar burger with the cheddar fries. Unhealthy yes, but everything in moderation, right? Souped my burger with all the toppings including hot peppers, sautéed onions, tomatoes, pickles, sauerkraut, relish, etc. It was absolutely fantastic, but pricy for a north shore burger qua char-broiled burger. The cheddar cheese fries are where it's at. I'd be hard pressed to find any place in the world let alone in the NorthShore that serves better cheddar fries the way Michael's does. read more

Michael's - Cheddar char-broiled burger and cheddar fries. - Hot Dogs Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

Great family friendly restaurant with good food at good price. Our family frequents this place as its close to us and the food satisfies the family without breaking the wallet. The venue is spacious so u don't have to worry about not getting a seat or ur children bumping into anything. It's famous for hot dogs but we like their burgers, kids grilled cheese sandwich set that comes with fries for $5 (awesome). Many people eat their salads, we see, but since we are not that healthy... We can only recommend with our eyes *_* Only down side is parking. Because Highland Park is a popular destination as well as Michael's, parking is plenty but regularly full. read more

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Kudos to Adam and the crew! The online order system screwed up and told me my order wasn't accepted even though it was. The crew made my food but because I thought it was canceled, I never came to pick it up. I reached out to the team to reverse the credit card transaction and Adam was incredible in offering to remake my order or send me a gift card. Amazing customer service! read more

What a disappointment. Not like the old days. Ordered four sandwiches. Only got three. They were almost warm. One sandwich was missing. Asked for an extra pickle on a Kid's ketchup only hot dog and was charged $.99. The loaded fries came with very few fries and a small container of sour cream. Not were half the price. My total bill was close to $50. My advice go somewhere else. read more

When Michael Hoffman was at the helm, this place was fun. My wife and I had our rehearsal dinner here. As I've gotten older, this place just turns me off. I don't live in the suburbs and if I did, Highland Park would not be high on my list. The clientele here plays to all of the worst stereotypes for those that dwell in HP. Loud, no class schlubs that want to be "seen" and put ketchup on their hot dogs. read more

I stopped in for my lunch break I asked for a burger well done 20 minutes later it was not well done I handed the young lady the tray with the undercooked sandwich and the receipt she said that she would refund it, has yet to be refunded read more

Came to Highland Park to look at houses. The family was hungry so we stopped in here. Food is very good service is interesting. You order cafeteria style and wait in line for your food to be prepared to order. Goodness that is a long wait. I don't care for the concept. By the time my order was ready the fries they put up early were cold. But the burger was warm because it was the last item on the tray. I would come back because I know how the system works. If you want burger and fries go to the far line. If you want a salad go to the first line. Very simple once you learn the concept. read more

It seems strange to give a restaurant five stars then immediately give very specific advice on what to eat and order. But Michael's is so overwhelmingly great, the only thing I can do is give some patronly advice on how to make the experience the best it can possibly be. Get a burger. And not just any burger. Get the bison burger. And get some cheddar cheese on that beastly patty. Go ahead, bison's healthier for you anyway. Slap on some grilled onions, too, to get your veggies. Get some cheese fries. You'll want more of that cheddar cheese. I promise. If you're a vegetarian, skip the grill. The veggie burger is fairly mushy and kind of tasteless. Head to the salad line, where they'll chop up your salad so freshly and deliciously. I guess in comparison to salad bars in cities that are made to do this, Michael's isn't extraordinary, but on the customizable greenery front, it's the best salad in Highland Park by far, in my opinion. A free roll comes with it, but if you want something more carby, get the Michael's veggie wrap (four veggies of your choice with cucumber dressing and mozzarella cheese in a tortilla... Good stuff!) In fact, if you're not a vegetarian, bring one with you. The salad line is (usually) shorter, and you can order grill items from the salad line. The prices are a little high, and it's obnoxious that they close at 8, but as someone who moved to Highland Park as a kid... and someone who's eager to move away, this is one place that I have really great memories of, dating back to when I thought it was a long walk from Elm Place (...yes, Middle School.) read more

Unfortunately all it takes is one bad experience to turn you off from going some where. I ordered from here on 12/18 for myself and family. To put it plainly lots of burgers, fries and a salad. Not sure if I am having bad luck eating out lately but a staple ended up in my burger. Yep. No clue wth happened but I'll bet on them rushing orders out and not paying attention. Plus the avocado on my Cobb salad was old, like brown dots on the inside of the avocado. So I'll be skipping this place in the future. Thanks for taking my money for mediocre (lightly put) food. read more

Every burger I order is rare. Not red it's rare. Did they get new fries because they are terrible now

This is our family tradition for the day after thanksgiving. It's obviously a lot of other family's traditions. The char dogs are perfect- crisp with lots of crunch. We order it the philly way with grilled onions and mustard. Can't go wrong with fries or onion rings. We would love a michaels in California. Love this place ! read more

Michael's - Hot Dogs Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

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Very clear on placing my order. Not too difficult! Cheeseburger with ketchup and grilled onions. Stupid order taker forgot the onions. If I had taken my order to go I would have had food rage. I returned my wrong sandwich and accepted a refund. I did ask if there was a manager and the cashier said "that was the manager that made the mistake". At least I know he is making at least $15.00 per hour. If they can't get it right maybe they should get out of the business. read more

Michael's - $3.59 plus tax for a root beer float in a kids water cup. - Hot Dogs Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

The new owners took a perfectly good hot dog joint and ruined it. They took forever to make my order to go ( ordered hot dogs and fries, nothing else.) They do it over a computer and still mess it up. The ordering system was perfectly fine when it was done verbally, across the counter, usually to employees that didn't speak English as their first language... and in the 4 decades that I've eaten before new ownership, they never messed up the order. Last time I was there, the manager was checking to go orders twice to make sure they were right. They made a guy stand for five minutes while his food was bagged under the heat lamp for who knows how long. They're trying to fool their customers billing itself as "Michaels grill and salad bar" as if spiffing up their name makes them more classy and dignified. Where is Michael Hoffman to read these guys the riot act and tell them that they're screwing up an HP institution that has operated successfully, well before any of the employees knew what a hot dog was. read more

This place turned into a shit hole RIP off joint. Got a skirt steak sandwich  $16.99 it was the sorriest skirt steak I ever had along being small size for the RIP off price. What made it even worse was that it had globs a garlic mayonnaise that I had to scrape off, totally disgusting. Next was the double charburger  Let just describe it as two hockey pucks. Frozen garbage burgers. Got a side order of crappy greasy limp french fries. Two expensive salads That were not fresh ingredients. I guess I should have checks the order before carrying out. It's been a while since I been here and read a few reviews before posting this and notice this place was sold. Well the new owners suck and ruined what use to be a great place to get good quality food at a fair price. Heck even the help was snippy. You robbed me of my hard-earned money ! Thieves! read more

When you walk into Michael's, you see a whole panoply of menu options which includes burgers, sandwiches, pasta, sides, and deserts. I just stopped in for a shake (chocolate banana, shakes only come in size small). Many of the employees here are the older sort who are a refreshing throwback to a time when restaurants were more concerned about providing good food at decent prices, not a fake kind of showmanship. The decor is absolutely incredible in all of its 1980's glory. There are red and teal and blue tiles that line the walls with mirrors that grace the ceiling. It's like walking on to the set of a John Hughes brat pack movie! Looking around, I see pictures of kids and families and parties around so this looks like a good family friendly gathering place. Places like Michael's are dwindling in number every day so it's becoming imperative to enjoy them as much as we can before they become distant memories. read more

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My boyfriend and I went to Michael's for lunch yesterday and we were immediately greeted by the team members. We walked up to the cashier who was friendly and very personable. I ordered a Jumbo Char Dog on a Gluten Free hot dog bun and my boyfriend ordered two Chicago style hotdogs no pickle. We also got a side of gluten free fries. The food came out very promptly and we were excited. The server who brought us our food had a smile on her face a mile wide. It was so pleasant. I destroyed my Gluten free Jumbo char dog, as every single bite stimulated my taste buds. The fries were perfectly crisp and I was beyond satisfied. It was A VERY delicious lunch. The restaurant was perfectly lit, and music was appropriate, and everything was clean and very appealing. My boyfriend wants to come back and try almost everything on the menu. the entire experience from start to finish needs to be recognized. We had a terrific lunch date. Can't wait to come back!! read more

I grew up on Michael's. We'd ride our bikes down, and get a true Chicago dog or some of the best dang chicken tenders you'd ever taste every weekend. Truly an iconic highland park institution with great food and friendly faces. I've looked into finding a way to flash freeze some tenders and dogs and send them down to me in Arizona, but they wouldn't do Michael's justice! read more

Lovin it! I crave the cheddar char burgers and since I hadn't had one in quite some time, I had to spoil myself tonight. There is something about that burger and cheese mix that is addicting. The service is always good and most of the time, no matter what time of day, the place has a line. The menu is a lot bigger than I remember from my high school days... read more

I just picked up the hotdogs. They were cold inside as if they had just been taken out of a package, never cooked